


Not Quite Unrequited

by okidokio



Category: Love Island (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, idk what to put here, im sure I will figure it out as I go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:54:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25917655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/okidokio/pseuds/okidokio
Summary: Ren’s off to a rocky start at the villa, and the road’s not about to get any smoother. Follow her story through and out of the villa as she tries to find a happy ending in the infinite shitstorm that is Love Island.
Relationships: Hope/Noah (Love Island), Noah & Main Character (Love Island)
Kudos: 11





	Not Quite Unrequited

**Author's Note:**

> I started this fic like half a year ago and posted a first chapter which I ended up hating so here is me trying again. Felt like restarting because I’ve been missing Noah like crazy. Here’s hoping I do him some justice. Thanks for taking the time to read. ☺️

Love Island hadn’t really been going great for Ren. Since arriving at the villa for the supposed summer of her life, she felt like Lady Luck was playing for the other team. Sure, she had the luck of choosing who to couple up with first, and she had picked Noah. From the short amount of time they were able to speak before he was nabbed by Hope, she could tell he was a really sweet guy, albeit quiet which wasn’t really a bother to her. But luck was already working against her and Hope dashed any chance of getting to know Noah further by stealing him in the coupling, leaving Ren with the leftover Bobby. 

By all means was Bobby a really great guy, cute and funny, but Ren couldn’t see herself being more than friends with him. Not only that, the surprise islander Priya had stolen Bobby to couple up with—which didn’t bother Ren in the sense that she was mad Bobby got stolen, but now on top of everything she was in danger of being sent home for being single.

At the end of the day Ren wasn’t really upset with anyone but herself. She could actually see herself becoming really good mates with Hope and Priya after they get past the awkward hump of stealing her couple. Ren just felt lost. She didn’t see a clear path ahead of her and that wasn’t something she was used to; she was someone who always knew what she wanted and went after it and she was in a situation where she didn’t know what to do.

The rest of the evening after the coupling that left her single was a blur. The party continued on and Ren did her best to grin and bear it, laughing it off with her fellow islanders in an attempt to keep it civil and light. As the party wound down, she felt relieved that she could let her façade down for the night. 

She had decided to sleep alone on the day beds tonight. She didn’t think she could maintain a chipper attitude while she was the only one in the bedroom alone in a bed. That was something she’d always hated, sleeping alone.

Ren gets ready for bed, removing her makeup and getting into a comfy pair of pajamas. No need to impress anyone tonight. She takes a deep breath and steps into the bedroom to grab some pillows from one of the spare beds. Lottie catches her eye and frowns at her, concerned. Ren offers a pained smile and continues across the room to reach the door that leads outside. 

The last bed she passes is occupied by Hope and Noah. Hope is taking a handful of braids and carefully wrapping them up into a bun on top of her head and doesn’t pay Ren any attention. She meets Noah’s eyes and she tries to muster up a cheery smile. A flick of concern shows in his eyes before she looks down at her feet and heads outside.

The air outside is surprisingly cool and crisp. She sighs and makes her way to the day bed furthest away from the door to the bedroom. She pulls back the covers and cuddles up to a pillow underneath them. She stares at the canopy above her and starts to think about her situation. She could feel tears stinging the back of her eyes and got mad at herself. She thought to herself how unfair it was and how shitty of a position she was in and how things have been going to shit since she first stepped out of the Jeep that brought her here.

Wiping an escaped tear off of her cheek, she lets out a sniffle. She shuts her eyes, prepared for this day to be over.

“Ren?” She jolts straight up, eyes flying open and she sees Noah in his pajamas a few feet away from her.

“You scared me,” Ren grumbles, “I didn’t hear you coming at all, were you sneaking up on me?” She playfully narrows her eyes at him and a smile spreads across his face.

“Not intentionally, though I kind of wish I’d thought of that before I came out here.” He closes the gap between them and nods towards her. “Mind if I sit with you for a bit?”

Ren quickly runs the sleeve of her shirt across her face to make sure there weren’t any more stray tears and gives forth her best smile. “Sure, I don’t mind.”

Noah takes a seat at the end of the bed, sits cross-legged and faces her. “I wanted to check on you after everything that’s happened today.”

“Ah, that!” She musters up a chuckle she would use in an interview, fake but believable. “Well, you know Bobby and I weren’t that close. I think he and Priya will get along like two peas. We probably wouldn’t have been more than friends anyway.” While saying this she avoids direct eye contact with him, looking between the features of his face. Her eyes linger on his lips and he frowns. 

“You don’t seem like you’re okay. You know you don’t have to be okay with it.” She finally looks up at his him and there’s a distant look in his eyes. His hands are folded in his lap and Ren notices that he is absentmindedly twiddling his thumbs together.

“Is...is something on *your* mind?” She asks, watching his eyes as he refocuses to meet her curiosity. He seems to get flustered and looks away quickly and gives an embarrassed laugh. 

“I came here to comfort you, not the other way around.” Ren chuckles quietly too and relaxes back into the bed. 

“You caring enough to come check on me is plenty comfort enough,” she mutters quietly, trying to conceal a tiny smile playing at the corner of her lips.

Noah doesn’t try to hide his and smiles brightly at her and she can feel a flush bloom behind her cheeks. 

“Well then I’m glad I decided to come out here.” 

“Does Hope know you’re out here?” Ren watches his face carefully as she asks this and she sees something flicker behind Noah’s eyes, though she isn’t quite sure what.

“I mentioned to her that I wanted to make sure you were comfortable out here and that you were okay. She gave me her blessing.” He gives a light smile and Ren feels her heart speed up, faster than her comfort allowed.

“I can’t believe it’s only the end of day one,” she sighs. “I feel like I’ve been here an eternity.” 

Noah nods sagely in agreement. “It may seem like it’s taking forever but it’ll pass along with your troubles. I have every confidence that someone incredible will come in and blow you away and you’ll be swept up in no time. They would be stupid not to see how great of a catch you are.” 

As he says this Ren sees that same glint in his eyes that she noticed before, though this time he is fully looking into her eyes, almost as if he was willing her to solve the mystery of what was lurking behind them. As if he wasn’t even sure what it was either. Just as fast as she saw it it disappears again and he looks away. 

“Well if there’s anything else you need I’m just a short walk or a text away.” He starts to get up. “I hope you have a lovely night, Ren.” 

She watches him stretch his arms above his head and lower them again. He’s close enough to touch and he starts to turn around. Ren unconsciously reaches toward him and is almost close enough to tug the bottom of his shirt, to get him to stay with her. To keep her from being alone. But just like that he is out of reach, leaving her again and heading back to Hope. 

She pulls her hand back and clutches it close to her chest. She clenches her fist and can feel her heart beating out of control. This wasn’t the first time Noah made her feel like this and she imagined it wouldn’t be the last. As he reaches the door, he looks back and sees her watching him still. His eyes soften and he smiles and gives her a small wave, then turns and disappears into the villa.

Ren lets go of the breath she had been holding and loosens her fist. Catching her breath she lays back down in the bed, no longer cold. She shuts her eyes and steadies her breathing and imagines what it would be like if Hope had chosen anybody else. She imagines if Noah would be returning to her in the bedroom and imagines him holding her close, keeping her warmer than the pillow she was desperately holding onto. 

She sighs once more and buries her face beneath the pillows, and finally she drifts off to the warmth of her imagination.


End file.
